Conventional electrical connector assemblies, such as those providing a connection between electrical wire (e.g., cable) and electrical connectors on an electronic unit or other similar device configured to receive electrical signals from an electrical wire, often include an electrical connector assembly disposed on the electronic unit and an electrical connector assembly attached to one or more wires (which may form one or more cables, for example). The cable electrical connector assembly may include a housing, often referred to as a backshell, that has an opening at one end for receiving wire that terminates in one or more electrical connectors, comprising male or female contact parts (e.g., pins, prongs, receptacles, etc.) The housing also may have an opening at an opposite end for mating with the electrical connector assembly of the electronic unit. The backshell may be further configured to protect the wires and electrical connector of the cable connector assembly and also to protect the mating connection of the cable connector assembly to the electronic unit connector assembly. The electronic unit electrical connector assembly may have one or more electrical connectors comprising male or female contact parts configured to mate with the electrical contact parts of the cable electrical connector assembly. Further, the electronic unit connector assembly also may have a housing that surrounds and protects the electrical connectors of the electronic unit connector assembly and mates with the cable connector backshell.
Aside from a mechanical connection, it may be desirable to provide electrical connectivity between the cable backshell and the connector assembly on the electronic unit in order to hinder stray EMI (electromagnetic interference) or RFI (radio frequency interference) from flowing into the unit's electronics where damage may occur. In some conventional devices, relatively complex electrical shields comprising a plurality of parts may be used to provide electrical connectivity between the backshell and the unit connector housing. In other conventional devices, electrical shields having gasket-like configurations have been used to provide electrical connectivity between the backshell and the housing of the electronic unit connector assembly. Some of these conventional shields have substantially planar configurations and are provided on a surface of the unit housing that faces the cable connector assembly so as to surround the electrical connector of the unit connector assembly. The backshell often may have a lateral wall, a free end of which comes into contact with the electrical shield when the cable connector and unit connector are engaged in a fully mated condition.
In some conventional connector assemblies, fasteners, such as screws for example, are used to provide a sufficient mating force between the backshell and the unit connector assembly. These fasteners provide a force in addition to the mating connection between the cable connector assembly and the unit connector assembly (e.g., between the pins and the receptacles and/or between the backshell and unit housing) to help ensure the mating connection is maintained. Further, in cases where an electrical shield is provided to establish electrical connectivity between the backshell and the unit connector assembly, such fasteners also may help ensure that the backshell maintains contact with the shield, thereby ensuring electrical contact is maintained. In the case of electrical shields in the form of gaskets, plural fasteners often are placed in substantially symmetrical positions relative to the gasket to ensure substantially uniform contact between the backshell and the gasket around the entire gasket.
Fastening mechanisms may be especially important when the electronic unit is subject to relatively rigorous conditions, such as vibrations and other movements that may be prevalent in settings such as aeronautical settings, for example. Moreover, fastening mechanisms may be useful in the case of relatively bulky and/or heavy cables being connected to the electronic unit since the weight of the cables may tend to cause disengagement of the mating connection between the cable connector and the unit connector.
Fasteners conventionally used with electrical connector assemblies are typically manipulated (e.g., removed and/or installed) by operators of the electronic units, which can make the process of connecting the cable connector assembly to the unit connector assembly relatively difficult and/or time-consuming. This may be especially true for conventional fasteners in the form of two screws disposed substantially opposite one another on either side of the cable connector assembly. The operator must manipulate both screws to ensure that contact is made between the backshell and the electrical shield substantially uniformly (e.g., symmetrically) around the shield.
Moreover, such fasteners may result in an electrical connector assembly design that is relatively complex and/or costly.
Thus, it may be desirable to provide an electrical connector assembly that provides electrical connectivity between the cable connector backshell and the unit connector assembly. In maintaining such connectivity, stray EMI and/or RFI may be prevented from flowing to the unit's electronics, thereby protecting the unit electronics from damage.
It may also be desirable to provide an electrical connector assembly that can maintain electrical connectivity between the cable connector backshell and the unit connector assembly without the use of relatively difficult to manipulate fasteners, such as screws, for example, that require relatively difficult manipulation by the operator of the electronic unit during the process of coupling the cable connector assembly to the unit connector assembly. Further, it may be desirable to provide an electrical connector assembly that can maintain electrical connectivity between the cable connector backshell and the unit connector assembly without the need for plural, symmetrically disposed fasteners.
It may be desirable to provide an electrical connector assembly configuration that protects the shield from bending and/or other damage during mating.
It also may be desirable to provide an electrical connector assembly that is relatively simple in design and installation, and relatively inexpensive to manufacture.
Conventional electrical connector assemblies also may include a cable connector assembly wherein wire (which may from one or more cables) exits the back of the backshell. In other words, wire exit the backshell in a direction substantially parallel to the direction in which the cable connector assembly is moved so as to form the mating connection between the cable connector assembly and the unit connector assembly. That is, the cables exit the backshell in a direction substantially perpendicular to the plane defining the interface between the mating connection of the cable connector assembly and the unit connector assembly.
In some settings, such as aeronautical settings, for example, the space into which a cable connector assembly and any wire (e.g., cable) exiting from the backshell must fit for connection to an electronic unit connector assembly is limited. For example, the space between the unit connector assembly and another surface (e.g., a wall or other surface) that runs substantially parallel to the face of the electronic unit that contains the unit connector assembly may be limited. In circumstances where space is limited, the backshell and wire (e.g., cable) extending from the back of the backshell may be too large to fit into the relatively limited space or may be configured such that the portion of the cable exiting the backshell may interfere with a surface adjacent to the unit connector assembly. In other words, conventional cable connector assemblies in which wire exits from a back of the backshell may protrude relatively far from the electronic unit with which the cable connector assembly is configured to mate. In some situations, it may be necessary to bend the wire (e.g., cable) exiting the backshell in order to accommodate the cable connector assembly and any cables extending therefrom. Due to the relative thickness of some types of cables, it may prove difficult to bend the cables and/or to achieve a relatively tight bend (e.g., high radius of curvature). Furthermore, bending a cable exiting the back of the backshell may place a stress on the cable that could cause damage to the cable and/or cause a force on the cable connector tending to pull the cable connector assembly out of proper engagement with the unit connector assembly.
Moreover, in settings with limited space as described above, it may be difficult to remove and/or install a cable connector assembly having one or more cables that exit from the back of the backshell.
Thus, it may be desirable to provide a cable connector assembly configuration that permits the assembly to fit in limited spaces that may be provided when connecting to a unit connector assembly. It also may be desirable to provide a cable connector assembly configuration that occupies relatively less room than in conventional cable connector assemblies during removal and/or connection of the cable connector assembly to the unit connector assembly.
It may further be desirable to provide a cable connector assembly configuration that eliminates the need to bend cables exiting the backshell.
Moreover, it may be desirable to provide an electrical connector assembly that is configured to maintain a mating connection between a cable connector assembly and a unit connector assembly without the need for relatively time-consuming operator installation. For example, it may be desirable to eliminate the need for plural, relatively difficult to manipulate fasteners. It may be desirable instead to provide a relatively easily installed electrical connector assembly.